The two undefeated teams, Geelong and Collingwood, faced off in a Friday night blockbuster at the MCG. A massive crowd of 81,691 was on hand, and the match lived up to the hype. After a thrilling contest, the Cats took out the match by three points to take outright top of the ladder.The Cats burst out of the blocks, dominating around the ground and creating a host of scoring options. But some wasteful finishing would count against the Cats, as they sprayed the ball wide time and again to score 2.9 for the quarter. And those missed chances would come back to haunt the Cats in the second term as the Magpies got possession and kicked four unanswered goals for the quarter, turning their 14-point quarter time deficit into an 11-point half time lead.The Magpies maintained their advantage during the third term, kicking two of the first three goals and looking set for victory. But time-on in the third term would go to the Cats’ advantage, with two late goals cutting the margin to five points at the last change, and a cliff-hanging finish was in prospect.The Magpies led by eight points at the 14 minute mark of the final term. But a four minute purple patch turned the game on its head, with Steve Johnson, Jimmy Bartel and Travis Varcoe finding the goals to put the Cats 10 points ahead. Dale Thomas stopped the run of Geelong goals, snapping truly at the 22 minute mark to get the margin back to within a kick. But the Cats held on as the Magpies searched desperately for the winner, the final siren giving the Cats a hard-fought three point win.Joel Corey was top ball magnet for the day, getting 31 possessions for the Cats while Joel Selwood accumulated 29. For Collingwood, Dane Swan racked up 30 touches.Geelong 2.9 2.10 5.12 8.17 (65)Collingwood 1.1 5.3 7.5 9.8 (62)Goals : Geelong – J Bartel 2, T Varcoe, J Kelly, S Johnson, M Stokes, A Christensen, J Podsiadly. Collingwood – S Sidebottom 2, T Cloke 2, A Krakouer, S Pendlebury, D Thomas, L Brown, D Swan.Best : Geelong – S Johnson, J Selwood, J Kelly, J Corey, J Bartel, M Scarlett. Collingwood – H Shaw, D Swan, D Thomas, S Buckley, S Sidebottom, S Pendlebury.Injuries : Geelong - D Milburn (back) replaced in selected side by A Christensen, C Ling (shoulder). Collingwood - N Maxwell (foot) replaced in selected side by T Goldsack, A Toovey (face).Substitutions : Geelong - C Ling (shoulder) replaced by A Christensen in the third quarter. Collingwood - A Toovey (face) replaced by B Dick in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Chamberlain, Ryan, Jeffery.Crowd - 81,691 at MCG.

North Melbourne broke through for the second win of 2011, taking control in the second half to defeat Melbourne by 41 points at Docklands on Saturday afternoon.It wasn’t a result that looked likely early, as the Demons made the early front running. The Demons had gone into the game high on confidence after a big win against Adelaide last week, and continued that momentum through the first quarter. With seven goals for the quarter, the Demons led by 32 points at one stage during the term and had a 24-point advantage at quarter time.

But the Kangaroos bounced back from their slow start, and slowly but surely worked to bridge he gap. Aaron Edwards began to present himself as a target up forward, while veteran midfielder Brent Harvey, on his 33rd birthday, was also looking impressive. The Kangaroos kicked four goals to one for the quarter, cutting the deficit back to seven points at the long break.The ruck contests were beginning to run North Melbourne’s way, with Todd Goldstein looking dangerous at the hit-outs, while Daniel Wells was also looking impressive. The Kangaroos got their running game going, and began to assert control around the ground. Seven goals for the quarter gave the Kangaroos a 21-point lead at three quarter time, and the Kangaroos went on with the job in the final quarter with five goals to two to blow the margin out to 41 points.North Melbourne 3.2 7.5 14.7 19.10 (124)Melbourne 7.2 8.6 10.10 12.11 (83)Goals : North Melbourne - A Edwards 6, D Wells 3, B Harvey 3, L Hansen 2, T Goldstein 2, L Adams, B Speight, K Harper. Melbourne – L Jurrah 3, A Maric 3, M Newton 2, R Petterd 2, J Watts, C Bartram.Best : North Melbourne – D Wells, T Goldstein, A Edwards, L Adams, B Harvey, J Ziebell. Melbourne – S Martin, M Newton, A Davey, C Sylvia, N Jones, N Jetta.Injuries : North Melbourne – B Cunnington (illness) replaced before the game by C Garlett. Melbourne – C Garland (ankle), R Bail (knee), S Martin (knee).Substitutions : North Melbourne - C Garland (leg) replaced by J Bennell in the third quarter. Melbourne - J Ziebell replaced by B Speight in the fourth quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Donlon, Bowen, Wenn.Crowd - 23,536 at Etihad Stadium.

Fresh off their win in the Q-Clash, Gold Coast returned to the scene of their first win when the Suns travelled to AAMI Stadium for a date with Adelaide. And early on it looked like the confident Suns could pull off another result before the Crows assumed control to take out a 57-point victory.The Suns got off to a flying start with the first four goals of the game. Gary Ablett was looking particularly dangerous, picking up a swag of possessions and kicking three of those goals. But the Crows steadied and stopped the Gold Coast run, and the Suns would not score another goal in the first half.The Suns were 14 points ahead at quarter time, but the momentum had swung Adelaide’s way and that lead was quickly swallowed up. Seven unanswered goals went the Crows’ way in the second term, and by half time the home side was 31 points ahead.The young Suns continued to work hard in the second half, but with Adelaide having steadied and taken control around the ball, the Suns were struggling to keep up. The Crows kicked five goals to two in the third term, and six goals to three in the last, to wrap up a comfortable result. It was their third win of the season, a result spearheaded by a six goal haul from Patrick Dangerfield, with Nathan Van Berlo having 36 possessions and Scott Thompson 34. But best on ground in a losing side was Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett, with four goals and a whopping 41 possessions, instrumental in Gold Coast’s flying start and working hard all day attempting to get the Suns back into the contest. But it was Adelaide’s dayAdelaide 2.2 9.7 14.10 20.10 (130)Gold Coast 4.4 4.6 6.13 9.19 (73)Goals : Adelaide – P Dangerfield 6, C Knights 2, M Wright 2, R Henderson 2, S McKernan 2, R Douglas, B Reilly, K Tippett, S Thompson, J Gunston, L Thompson. Gold Coast – G Ablett 4, Z Smith 2, T Lynch 2, T McKenzie.Best : Adelaide – S Thompson, N Van Berlo, P Dangerfield, B Reilly, C Knights, M Wright. Gold Coast – G Ablett, Z Smith, D Swallow, J Harbrow, M Rischitelli, T Lynch.Injuries : Adelaide – Nil. Gold Coast – Nil.Substitutions : Adelaide - C Schmidt replaced by B Smith at three-quarter time. Gold Coast - L Patrick replaced by J Daye at half-time.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Margetts, Rosebury, Hay.Crowd - 36,056 at AAMI Stadium.

Saturday night at the Gabba saw Essendon win their first game in Queensland since their premiership year in 2000, the Bombers defeating the Lions by 36 points in a scrappy game.The Lions, still looking for their first win for 2011, fought and tackled hard and refused to let the Bombers get any easy possessions. It was a tightly-contested first half, with the Lions having slightly the better of proceedings, leading by three points at quarter time and one point at the long break.But the Bombers tightened the screws in the third term, and the Lions were unable to keep up with the pace set by the Bombers. It wasn’t pretty football, but effective for the Bombers as they outlasted the Lions, competing harder around the ball and managing four unanswered goals for the quarter, leading by 24 points at the long break.Brisbane had fought hard in the first half, but were unable to maintain their intensity in the second half. The Bombers lifted after half time, and having broken away from the Lions in the third term, went on with the job in the final quarter. The Bombers kicked five goals to three, extending the final margin to 36 points.David Zaharakis kicked four goals for the Bombers in a best on ground performance, while Heath Hocking and David Myers also played strong games. For the Lions, Tom Rockliff, Jed Adcock and Matthew Leuenberger tried hard all evening. But it was Essendon’s night, the Bombers continuing their stellar rise this season while the Lions’ season of misery continues.Essendon 3.2 6.6 10.10 15.12 (102)Brisbane 3.5 6.7 6.10 9.12 (66)Goals : Essendon – D Zaharakis 4, S Crameri 3, A Monfries 2, J Watson 2, D Hille 2, K Reimers 2. Brisbane – A McGrath 2, R Bewick, M Clark, C Stiller, J Drummond, D Rich, J Adcock, T Rockliff.Best : Essendon – D Zaharakis, H Hocking, D Myers, B Howlett, A Monfries, C Hooker. Brisbane – T Rockliff, J Adcock, M Leuenberger, D Rich, J Drummond, C Stiller.Injuries : Essendon - M Hurley (calf) replaced in selected side by T Colyer, H Slattery replaced in selected side by M Hibberd. Brisbane - J Polkinghorne (concussion).Substitutions : Essendon – J Watson replaced by T Colyer in the third quarter. Brisbane – J Polkinghorne replaced by R Harwood in the second quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Ritchie, Stevic, Kamolins.Crowd - 24,921 at Gabba.

It took the Swans a half to shake off the persistent Port Adelaide, but a one-sided second half was enough to guide the Swans to an easy 62-point win over the Power in front of a poor crowd of barely 20,000 at the SCG on Saturday night.Port Adelaide were competing hard during the first half, getting plenty of possession. But too often the Power were inefficient with their use of the ball, chipping the ball around until they turned it over and not achieving full reward for effort. But they did manage some goals during the first quarter to only trail by three points at quarter time. The second term was a tight defensive affair in which only three goals were scored, but the Swans held a nine point advantage at the long break.But the game was ripped open in the third term, as the Swans shook off the attentions of the Power and turned the quarter into a high-scoring shootout. Sydney midfielders who had struggled to get use of the ball during the first half began to assert themselves, and the Swans found plenty of avenues to goal. The Swans kicked seven goals to four for the quarter, opening up a 30 point lead at the last change.And in the last quarter, the Swans assumed control and the Power were unable to match it with them. The Swans kicked six goals to one in the final quarter, turning the game into a blowout.Twelve Swans got their names onto the score sheet, demonstrating the Swans’ ability to create numerous routes to goal and share the forward action around. Jude Bolton was at his brilliant best, getting 33 possessions, while Josh Kennedy was also in strong form to touch the ball 31 times. The result keeps the Swans in the top eight, but the struggling Power are just one spot off the bottom, with only the winless Lions below them.Sydney 3.5 5.6 12.11 18.13 (121)Port Adelaide 3.2 4.3 8.5 9.5 (59)Goals : Sydney – S Reid 3, A Everitt 2, A Goodes 2, J Kennedy 2, D Hannebery 2, C Bird, J McVeigh, J Bolton, N Smith, B McGlynn, L Roberts-Thomson, L Jetta. Port Adelaide – J Schulz 2, D Motlop 2, T Boak, M Thomas, T Logan, T Chaplin, S Phillips.Best : Sydney – J Bolton, J Kennedy, A Goodes, R O’Keefe, J McVeigh, H Grundy. Port Adelaide – T Chaplin, K Cornes, J Westhoff, M Thomas, T Boak, M Broadbent.Injuries : Sydney – Nil. Port Adelaide – J Schulz (hamstring), T Chaplin (corked calf).Substitutions : Sydney - N Gordon replaced by L Parker in the fourth quarter. Port Adelaide - D Stewart replaced by A Moore in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Schmitt, Meredith, Ryan.Crowd - 20,719 at SCG.

It’s been a season to forget so far for St Kilda, and on Sunday afternoon the Hawks kicked the Saints when they were down, handing out a 30-point defeat at the MCG.But early in the contest, it was the Hawks who were on the ropes. Hawthorn suffered early blows when Stephen Gilham and David Hale departed with knee injuries during the first quarter, leaving the Hawks short of tall timber for the remainder of the afternoon. And while the Hawks were licking their wounds, the Saints made the early front running on the field to kick five unanswered goals in the first term and lead by 32 points at the first change.But the tide turned in the second term, and the Hawks began to turn the flow of the game their way. This time it was the Hawks who kicked five unanswered goals, hitting the lead late in the quarter and leading by four points at half time. The Hawks had missed some easy shots during the quarter, kicking 5.7 for the term, but it was enough to take the lead.Going on with the job in the third term, the Hawks continued to attack, and although they again missed more shots than they converted, they led by 11 points at the last change. The Saints were hanging in there, and with the first goal of the final quarter getting the margin back within a kick, the contest was still very much alive.But the final stages of the game saw the Hawks pulling away, as the Saints’ resistance could go no further. The Hawks kicked six goals to three for the final term, stretching the final margin to 30 points. Lance Franklin finished with five goals for the game; while the stats showed that despite Hawthorn’s injury toll to their tall players, they took more than double the number of marks than the Saints did. The Saints had started well, but struggled to create any opportunities after quarter time and slowly but surely drifted out of the contest, languishing in the bottom four and their hopes of appearing in another Grand Final this season already in jeopardy.Hawthorn 0.1 5.8 8.13 14.15 (99)St Kilda 5.3 5.4 7.8 10.9 (69)Goals : Hawthorn – L Franklin 5, S Savage 2, L Breust 2, J Lewis, J Roughead, M Osborne, L Shiels, B Sewell. St Kilda – N Riewoldt 3, A Siposs 2, J Cripps 2, A Schneider, D Polo, S Dempster.Best : Hawthorn – S Savage, B Guerra, M Suckling, L Hodge, L Franklin, J Lewis. St Kilda –S Fisher, N Riewoldt, B McEvoy, J Gwilt, S Dempster, S Gilbert.Injuries : Hawthorn – S Gilham (knee), D Hale (knee), P Puopolo (shin). St Kilda – Nil.Substitutions : Hawthorn - S Gilham (knee) replaced by L Breust during the first quarter. St Kilda - A McQualter replaced by J Cripps at half time.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Vozzo, Nicholls, Mollison.Crowd - 42,453 at MCG.

Richmond’s chance of entering the top 8 went begging, when the Tigers’ three-game winning streak ended at the hands of the Western Bulldogs; the Bulldogs prevailing by 35 points in a high-scoring shootout at Docklands on Sunday afternoon.With their most famous supporter, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, watching from the grandstand, the Bulldogs wasted no time in getting off to a flying start, with the first seven goals of the game. The lead was 34 points at quarter time, and with four of the first five goals of the second term, the lead was out to 52 points, the Bulldogs picking up possessions at will all over the park and having little trouble in finding routes to goal.Even with the Tigers fighting back late in the quarter, the Bulldogs were still 32 points to the good at half time. But the momentum of the game had changed and the Tigers were getting back into the contest. With four of the first five goals, the margin was back to 12 points and a contest that had looked dead and buried just half an hour earlier had come back to life.But the Richmond revival could last only so long before the Bulldogs regrouped. The Tigers had fought back strongly, but could go no further as the Bulldogs steadied. Against the odds, the Bulldogs won the quarter, and led by 45 points at the last change. And although the goals kept coming in the last term, the Bulldogs were cruising to victory.The Tigers had worked hard, with Jack Riewoldt kicking four goals, while Robin Nahas continued his strong individual form with 31 touches and Brett Deledio got 30 possessions. But the Bulldogs had the answers, with Lindsay Gilbee getting a career-best bag of six goals and Will Minson kicking four. Matthew Boyd accumulated 32 touches, while Callan Ward was best on ground. The Bulldogs’ three-game losing streak was over, and the first steps were made towards getting their season back on track.Western Bulldogs 7.2 12.4 18.11 23.15 (153)Richmond 1.4 6.8 11.8 18.10 (118)Goals : Bulldogs – L Gilbee 6, W Minson 4, J Grant 3, L Jones 2, T Liberatore 2, R Hargrave, C Ward, R Murphy, B Moles, D Giansiracusa, A Cooney. Richmond – J Riewoldt 4, B Miller 3, T Vickery 2, D Martin 2, N Foley 2, D Jackson, B Helbig, A Graham, J King, B Nason.Best : Bulldogs – C Ward, D Cross, M Boyd, L Gilbee, T Liberatore, W Minson. Richmond – R Nahas, S Grigg, D Martin, B Deledio, D Jackson, N Foley.Injuries : Bulldogs – Nil. Richmond - S Edwards (fractured cheekbone), M White (shoulder) replaced in selected side by B Helbig.Substitutions : Bulldogs - J Hill replaced by B Moles at three-quarter time. Richmond - S Edwards (fractured cheekbone) replaced by B Nason during the first quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Findlay, Jennings, McInerney.Crowd – 39,141 at Etihad Stadium.

Bragging rights in the West were up for grabs on Sunday evening in the first WA derby for 2011. And it was the Eagles who take the honours, after defeating Fremantle by 33 points in front of a vocal crowd of 40,567 at Subiaco Oval.The Eagles were forced into two late changes before the game, with Andrew Embley and Daniel Kerr injured during the warm-up. But despite losing those two guns before a ball had been kicked in anger, the Eagles had the better of the start and led by 12 points at the first change. And, suffocating any Fremantle attacks, the Eagles kicked five goals to one in the second term and went out to a 37-point lead at the long break.Fremantle attempted to fight back in the third term, but were frustrated by the resolute West Coast defence, and although they held the Eagles to one goal in the third quarter, they were only able to manage three goals for all their efforts. And with the Eagles still holding a 28-point advantage at three quarter time, the game was looking good for the Eagles and the Dockers were unable to make any dent in the deficit during the final quarter.And so, for the first time in seven WA derbies, the Eagles took the points, ending a run of Docker success. And with the win, the Eagles move ahead of Fremantle on the ladder, and into the top eight.West Coast 4.1 9.5 10.9 14.12 (96)Fremantle 2.1 3.4 6.5 9.9 (63)Goals : West Coast – J Kennedy 3, M LeCras 2, M Nicoski 2, J Darling 2, Q Lynch, C Masten, D Cox, N Naitanui, L Shuey. Fremantle – C Mayne 2, N Fyfe 2, R Crowley, M Pavlich, M Johnson, D Mundy, K Bradley.Best : West Coast – M Rosa, Q Lynch, N Naitanui, M Priddis, S Selwood, M LeCras. Fremantle – D Mundy, N Fyfe, L McPharlin, A Sandilands, M Pavlich, R Crowley.Injuries : West Coast - A Embley (hamstring) replaced in selected side by B Sheppard, D Kerr (groin) replaced in selected side by A Gaff. Fremantle - H Ballantyne (hamstring) replaced in selected side by J Pitt, R Crowley (quad).Substitutions : West Coast - P McGinnity replaced by A Gaff at three quarter-time. Fremantle - N Lower replaced by J Pitt in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - McBurney, Kennedy, Armstrong.Crowd - 40,567 at Patersons Stadium.